Data storage cartridges have been used for decades in the computer, audio, and video fields as means for storing data files. Data storage cartridges utilizing magnetic storage tapes continue to be a popular form of recording large volumes of information for subsequent retrieval and use, particularly in an automated library setting. Although conventional, automated libraries using data storage tape cartridges provide access to vast amounts of information, data storage tape cartridges prevent true random access to files stored in the data storage tape cartridges. In particular, a conventional data storage tape cartridge consists of a magnetic storage tape (i.e., an elongated flexible medium having a magnetic recording layer) wound on one or more wheels or hubs.
Data is recorded to and retrieved from the magnetic storage tape by inserting the data storage tape cartridge within the tape drive and passing the storage tape in front of one or more read/write heads. The tape drives are usually streaming devices in which data is recorded in a serpentine fashion as the storage tape streams back and forth across the read/write heads. In particular, the tape drive typically writes the data along a number of tracks that span the length of the storage tape. For this reason, data storage tape cartridges can be viewed as sequentially storing data in a linear format. The linear data storage format, however, does not provide true random access to individual files. In particular, a tape drive must scan through the entire length of the storage tape until the appropriate file mark is identified on the storage tape. Unfortunately, this process increases the file retrieval time.
Due to the lack of true random access to individual files stored within data storage tape cartridges and the affinity for pre-existing automated, data storage tape cartridge library systems, data storage cartridges utilizing non-tape forms of data recording media have been developed as a data storage alternative. In particular, data storage tape cartridges using solid state storage medium have increased in availability and popularity. While data storage cartridges using solid state storage medium provide for true random access to data stored therein, the data storage cartridges typically rely on loading of the data storage cartridges into a corresponding docking device for reading from and/or writing to the solid state storage medium.
For these and other reasons, it would be desirable to facilitate loading of a non-tape data storage cartridge into a corresponding docking device and/or facilitate storage of the non-tape data storage cartridge when the non-tape data storage cartridge is removed from the docking device.